Heart and Soul Awakened
by ACKC324
Summary: Kratos descends upon Sylvarant and meets Anna Irving, experiment A012. As Kratos regains his soul and Anna her heart, they unexpectedly fall in love and are chased throughout Sylvarant growing closer together only to be met with a harsh fate. This is a prequel to the Tales of Symphonia game about how Kratos may have met Lloyd's mother, Anna.
1. An Age of Lifeless Beings?

Gray. Life was an hourglass seeping with colorless and ironically lifeless sand, except the hourglass never ran out of sand for Kratos Aurion. As soon as one end emptied, the other began again for the immortal angel. The meaning of life had dulled as Kratos wasted away on Derris Kharlan, as he spent those years forgetting laughter and happiness, pain and anger, compassion and grief: as he spent those years forgetting what it meant to be human. Now, he lay, still wasting away with gray, empty eyes watching the uneventful, ever-unsurprising movements of the angels down on Welgaia. Yet, a flicker stirred from within him: his humanity.

Life had beaten and battered the seemingly untouchable angel, and the only emotion strong enough to move him also trapped him: guilt. Guilt and pity for his lost friend, Mithos, who for four thousand years delayed reuniting the two worlds he had split. Still, Mithos was searching for a way to revive his dead sister Martel. Mithos stood opposite Kratos, his back to him as he muttered to himself. Kratos had entered silently, but Mithos looked up immediately, his eyes wild as if he'd been stirred from a deep dream.

Mithos froze, but after second smiled warmly at his old companion, his teacher.

"Kratos." He said calmly, though his eyes showed pleasure at his old friend's company.

Kratos only nodded curtly, "Yggdrasiil. I have reports from Kvar that he is developing something known as the Angelus Project" He rolled his eyes amused at the thought of Kvar's groveling and scoffed.

Mithos seemed to laugh as well, though it was bitter. "That fool! I need not this silly project to make me stronger. Even if the project were to succeed, I doubt it would improve my skills greatly." He muttered arrogantly. "Let him continue his futile project though, as long as it keeps him busy and away from me. That irritating fool!" He sighed.

Kratos stayed, eyes downcast, and continued to say quickly, "Mithos, I have heard about this...plan of yours... For four thousand years, we have delayed reuniting the worlds so that you could revive Martel, but still, your plan has failed. Perhaps it is time to put the past behind us" He said gently, his hand on Mithos's shoulder. Mithos looked up momentarily, wide-eyed and unbelieving. "Martel is dead. Let us do as we intended and reunite the worlds. Do not go through with this madness." He cleared his throat and looked away, as if to turn from Mithos's inevitable fury.

"No!" Mithos clenched his fists with determination. "She's alive! Can't you feel it?" He shouted at Kratos. "She will be revived through any means necessary" He continued coldly. Kratos looked down on him with overwhelming guilt but knew that change was needed in this twisted system. Kratos only sighed in response.

Mithos continued, "And my plan is not madness. It is exactly as Martel wished! Discrimination will end. Half-elves will no longer be treated like filth" He said scornfully. "Do you not see? This is the only way! No emotion, no memory, no hate. People won't hate us anymore." He whispered, looking very much like the frightened 14 year old student Kratos knew from years ago. But _that_ Mithos disappeared...long ago.

Kratos bore into Mithos's eyes and said firmly, "I will not stand by this madness Mithos." He walked away, half expecting uncontrollable rage from Mithos but nothing happened. He continued to walk away, while Mithos stood in hurt shock at the betrayal of his friend but still he whispered something Kratos did not hear.

Feeling no need to pursue Kratos in anger, Mithos only said solemnly and surely, "You'll be back."


	2. At the Asgard Ranch

The glowing blue wings on the angel's back carried him to the outskirts of Luin, deep within the forest where no one would see him. He shook his head at Mithos's deranged plan and thought to himself, _How long did I let myself believe this madness?_ He sighed and walked on, thoughtful about the recent turn of events, wondering how Yuan would take the news. Then he laughed to himself. No, Yuan wouldn't care. After Martel, though Yuan had become one of the four seraphim, he was simply never there, not his heart nor a completely sane mind. He stopped caring long ago.

He turned at the sound of a twig cracking and was ready to draw his sword, but he was too late. Kratos was pinned to ground and felt an oddly wet sensation. Opening his eyes, he saw the huge, massive head of an obviously delighted protozoan just a few inches from his face. The protozoan stared intently into his eyes with happiness and continued licking Kratos.

"Noishe!" Kratos smiled at the sight of his old friend but sighed heavily as he attempted to stand. "Must you do that every time you see me? _Off_, Noishe." But still, Kratos was pleased with his new company and Noishe stepped steadily off Kratos. He laughed as the protozoan shoved his massive head under Kratos's hand and together they walked for quite some time in the peaceful silence of the woods.

Suddenly, he froze. What on earth was he doing here? Kratos found himself before the Asgard Ranch, staring intently at the place he so despised. For years he allowed this ridiculous, pointless suffering but he could turn his back to neither humanity nor his old friend. Caught in-between. He clenched his teeth. All of a sudden, he heard a whip crack in the air and he cringed in surprise, quickly turning his head in the direction from which it came. Then he tilted his head quizzically at what he heard next. A laugh, a woman's laugh ringing clearly through the air.

Dirtied and bloodied, hardened through the years of grueling work, she looked fatigued but her eyes glinted with determined energy. There were two Desians, each holding one of her emaciated hands. A third took the whip and continued to whip, but she never cried out, only clenched her teeth and took the pain in silence, though she occasionally flinched. She laughed again, grinning like a madman, "Is that all you've got?"

Kratos sighed and shook his head with disapproval at this obviously mad woman but his head snapped up to see that the woman apparently heard him and stared intently into the forest. The Desians let go of her after whipping her once more; this time she fell, and they scoffed in triumph at the fallen rebel, scattering the onlookers. But what they didn't see was her secret smile as she looked softly to the woods with longing. Despite her wounds and thin frame, she was beautiful. Kratos ducked his head quickly but felt his face flush...with worry, nervousness. It was only natural, he decided. He could not be caught here.

Anna saw something in the woods, and for the first time hope fluttered in her chest and she couldn't help but smile. A flash of dull red and pair of eyes watching on: that was what she saw. That was what she felt. Help was coming, and it left her wondering, what would her "knight in shining armor" be like? She stood steadily and knew that she needed to return to working before they turned their attention back on her, but she couldn't stop thinking about what or who she saw in the woods earlier. She sighed, eyes full of hope. She wanted to turn to someone, to tell them all she'd seen but as she looked from one to another, all she saw was disdain, fear, annoyance, and even pity. No one wanted to be seen interacting with her. No one wanted to be involved with K'var's most important and dangerous experiment: the Angelus Project.

Anna in particular was kept alive for this one sole reason. if she hadn't been a match for K'var's experiment, it's likely they would have killed her already rather than putting up with her trouble from day to day. For hours on, she worked and for hours she thought only of her imaginary rescuer. She laughed softly to herself and saw the Desians look up curiously at her, but she only ducked her head and continue working. Smiling, she decided that her hero would be graceful and dashing, quick to laugh and smile. He would stop to help anyone in need. Swift and fierce but gentle, he would fight in the name of justice but be also merciful, forgiving and sympathetic. His eyes would be warm.

Suddenly she looked up as she heard the glaring buzz. She sighed. Work was finally over and the prisoners would be back in their cells in no time. Gracefully, she lifted her heavy hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her train of thought dashed, all she could think about now was her hunger. Anna thought about this morning when she gave her bowl of food, no matter how disgusting, to the little girl whose own dish was savagely stolen by another prisoner. The girl smiled and that alone made Anna smile back as well, until a glaring older woman came along and uncomfortably shifted the little girl as far away from Anna as possible. It hurt, to be rejected by her own people.

"A012. Get moving." said a voice stiffly. Anna awoke from her daydream and made the tiresome effort to move her heavy feet once more. But she knew that voice and it was hard not to smile at it, but she controlled herself and only cleared her throat and followed the given orders. A Desian, no doubt, that voice belonged to, Anna knew that, but strangely he was her only friend. They rarely interacted, but from time to time, he would give her extra food and call her by her human name. He never did though around the other Desians. Once, he smiled at her softly and explained; he admired how she would never give in. That was the extent of their conversation.

Today was one of those days. Other prisoners passed out from exhaustion barely paid notice and today he had a short shift as the guard. Outside her cell, she noticed a small shadow. "Anna." He whispered. "I brought you some food. I know you didn't eat this morning" He smiled at her, his eyes soft and features oddly innocent for a Desian. How odd that Anna just noticed. How old was he? Perhaps 14, she thought to herself. So young. She couldn't help but wonder. Still, she smiled at him and thanked him in reply. Just as he passed an apple to her, Anna was splashed with a sickeningly warm liquid. She stood in shock at the sight of her wide-eyed friend staring down at his chest where the sword protruded. Fighting the hot tears that threatened, she shouted, "Damn you!" and lunged at her cell knowing well that she would not break it. As she fell to the floor, she lifted her gaze to the killer's fast and relentlessly trying to strip him bare with her glare.

He coolly responded unrepenting, "This is no place for traitors or human-lovers." He spat at the dying Desian. "Do you not remember who killed her? Who killed our sister?" He shouted angrily, his hands shaking as he pulled the blade out. "I brought you here to be protected from that-" He squinted his eyes at Anna, "-and instead you help them! You're weak. You don't belong here and you don't understand that they're all the same!" Anna was crying now and saw her friend lift his gaze to her.

As he gasped for life, he responded, "You're...wrong." He flinched from the pain but continued, "She's so...much like her, like our sister Anna." His eyes brimmed with both pain at the wound and joy at the sound of her name.

"So that's why." The other scoffed. "But you forgot. This thing is not Anna! It's just another experiment. It's just A012" He grimaced mechanically. "I didn't want to have to kill my own brother, but you would have helped her escape!" He snapped. "You would have betrayed K'var. He's more my brother than you ever were."

Anna's friend's eyes were filled with sadness when she saw them glaze over. But she thought he looked at her and saw the fire kindled with warmth once more. He was gone. She snapped at the other immediately, whispering angrily, "How could you kill your brother?"

He replied, "It's your fault! If it wasn't for you, he'd be alive." He lunged at her with his whip, mercilessly attacking her. Her eyes were going blurry before she realized that it stopped and she was faintly aware of someone carrying her. She cried fiercely and punched whoever was carrying her before she blacked out, catching a glimpse of a beautiful blue light.


	3. A Lousy Knight

The images of her dying friend ran wild through her mind. Her eyes snapped open and she let out a stifled cry. _What happened?_ She thought to herself. _Where am I?_ No longer in her cell. She was free, in the woods near a burnt out fire. Had her rescuer come after her after all? Dazed, she stood, surveying her surroundings.

Then she felt something nudge her back gently, and she turned, expecting it to be her rescuer. She yelped in shock and fell over, scraping her arm. A massive creature, with green and white fur now stood before, coming even closer to her. "Stay back!" She yelled hopelessly at the monster. She grabbed a stick from near the old fire and brandished it at the poor creature. He whined profusely, backing away, but his tail was wagging at the sight of the stick. She realized his intense stare at the stick and yelled, "Fetch, boy". It ran off with amazing speed in the direction of the stick. That was her cue.

She ran in the opposite direction, hoping to lose the creature, but somehow it appeared in front of her, tail wagging with the stick in its mouth. He barked and dropped the stick in front of her. She eyed it curiously and muttered, "What are you supposed to be, a dog? You're one strange-looking dog."

She sighed, grabbed the stick and turned around as if to throw it, but found herself running into a tall, red-haired man with a sword at his belt. "Aahhh!" She shrieked as the both of them tumbled down the small hill. "Oh, sorry." She groaned. Laying on top of him awkwardly, she rose quickly. He was silent, and nodded in her direction, turning his face away but not before Anna caught the glimpse of a blush on his face. She laughed.

He turned to her now, somewhat irritated, and stated. "It hasn't even been a day yet and you managed to injure me twice." He pointed accusingly at his black eye. She could only grin in response though. She'd thought that she was still being attacked by that Desian, not rescued. "Come on, now, we need to hurry." He frowned at her and stated matter-of-factly. "I do not need you slowing me down as it is." He scoffed, "Women and children should not be in these parts of the woods. Now, what is your name?"

Anna gaped at him, shocked at his annoying arrogance. She sighed in disappointment that her "knight" was not at all what she imagined. He infuriated her. She walked towards and leveled his stare. "Humph. Give me your name and I'll give you mine" She spat back at him defiantly. She did not trust this man and doubted that he rescued her out of the pure goodness of his heart.

His eyes glinted with amusement and he simply replied, "Very well, I am Kratos Aurion. I am a mercenary who was hired to free prisoners from the Asgard Ranch. Now, _your _name, Miss-."

She hesitated but continued cautiously, "I'm Anna. Anna Irving."

Kratos cleared his throat before saying, "We'll need to stop in Luin before continuing on. Come, let us leave now before the Desians find us." He turned quickly.

"What do you mean, we?" She retorted, eyes hard. "I'm free. Can't I do as I wish? And besides, why would we need to continue beyond Luin" She held her head up as high as she could, staring into his empty, bored eyes. Her pride was still hurt by his earlier comment.

"Well, if you wish to live," He clenched his teeth, "then I suggest that you follow me. That exsphere on your chest there is unstable. You'll need a key crest and you certainly will not be able to find one without my assistance." He stood irritated at the lost time.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. _Why did he always have to be right?_ They started walking but suddenly she froze and frowned. "Wait, How did you know all that?" An awful realization struck her, eyes filling with fear. Suddenly, she jumped back and hissed, "You're a Desian, aren't you?"

She gave him a long, cold glare, but he only sighed and responded, "No, I am not a Desian. It's a-" he paused, unsure what to say then continued, "It's a long story. I'll explain one day, but not now."

"Wait, so you expect me to just trust you?" She hardened her stare.

"If you want to live." He shrugged and started to walk on.

She stared after him for a moment but followed."Damn it." She whispered to herself and groaned. He had the advantage, and they were stuck with each other. He was nothing like she imagined though. He and the fantasy of her rescuer were like night and day.

Soon, though Anna's attention turned away from Kratos and she began to revel in the fact that she was free. The sun, the wind, the fresh streams: they were real and Anna giggled as she pranced through the forest, free at last.

Kratos gave her a hard glare. "Stop being so childish" he chided, " We need to focus on this journey." Anna angrily shoved him but quickly turned her attention to another novelty.

She muttered, "Honestly you need to learn how to have fun." Kratos only looked on indifferently as Anna began playing Noishe. She cooed softly, "Yes, Kratos doesn't play with you at all, does he? He's just a boring, arrogant stick-in-the mud." She was near shouting, but Kratos only sighed, thinking to himself, _how did I get stuck with her?_

They were nearing Luin and Anna gasped at the beauty of being able to see town again. She marveled at the buildings, the people, the music, the laugher. It filled her with unbelievable joy. She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around to face Kratos. "We should get you some new clothes, so you blend in easier." He suggested lightly. She nodded in consent and they walked on together. Eventually they came upon a small clothing store near the middle of town and stopped to look. "Go on." He stood on the side watching the town, while Anna looked through the clothes.

Finally, a woman came out of the building and smiled politely, "Oh, can I help you?"

"Yes, can I see that one?" Anna tried on the deep red, long-sleeve dress that clung narrowly to her body and stopped above the knees. "What do you think, Kratos?" She grinned wildy.

He glanced briefly at her and said with a bored tone, "It'll do." Anna frowned and gave him an irritated look, and suddenly the storekeeper laughed.

"Oh, it looks just wonderful on you, dear!" She smiled with a matronly air. "Don't worry about a thing your husband says! Mine does the same!"

Kratos snorted with derision at the same time Anna burst into uncontrollable laughter. Tearing up at the eyes, Anna explained to the woman, "Oh, no! I'm afraid you're mixed up! We're not-...He's not-" But Anna could not go one without laughing even more. The shopkeeper's eyes widened at her mistake and she laughed as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That'll be 100 gald though." Kratos quickly gave her a few coins and left with a Anna, amusement dancing in her eyes. The old woman sighed and shook her head, "What a shame, though...they really looked like a couple." She retreated inside.


	4. The Water Fountain

Kratos and Anna walked silently side-by-side through Luin, but it wasn't long until Anna began giggling intermittedly breaking up the silence Kratos had so desired since he started traveling with her. The second time Anna giggled to herself, Kratos growled, "What could you be possibly so excited about now?"

Anna looked up at him bright-eyed and grinning, "About what that shopkeeper said about us."

Kratos sighed. "You're still laughing at that?" He put his hand to his forehead and shook his head sadly.

Anna frowned, "What? Are you gonna tell me that it wasn't funny? Come on, you were definitely blushing back there. " She grinned widely now and stood in front of Kratos to face him. Laughing she continued, "You're blushing now! You never have any expression on your face, but the slightest mention of-"

"Fine, fine. I get it" He grimaced and cut her short.

Anna gasped, "See, you won't even let me say it! You have a serious problem." She continued walking, tucking her hair behind her hair. Then she smiled slyly and spoke again, eyes stealing quick glances at Kratos, " I wonder... if you're this shy, how are you ever going to have any relationship?" She shook her head, then incredulously as if she'd been electrocuted, "Come to think of it, have you ever even had a relationship?"

Oddly, Kratos wondered that himself...He didn't really remember, and his face twisted in confusion, then he was annoyed at her for asking and snapped, "Well, have you?"

Anna's face paled and she growled, her tone now serious, "One, that's completely different. I've been stuck in the ranch for a while now. Two, none of your business, you jerk!" She slapped him and hurriedly marched away from him and sat at a fountain. It wasn't hard but it was enough to startle Kratos. He was about to answer back to her when he sighed in resignation, following her. He sat next to her and stared.

Kratos wore a puzzled expression, "I don't understand you. One minute you're elated and can hardly sit still or stop talking. The next minute you are hostile and violent."

She snorted in response. "The happiness comes from being free." Her eyes wandered briefly skimming the town, then snapped back to look at Kratos to continue. "The hostility comes from having you for company." She huffed and turned shortly from him. "I hate you" She mumbled with an annoyed look.

"Nevertheless, we must move on. The Desians will look here first for you." He frowned at her mood swings and grabbed her arm as she stood to leave the fountain. Not a good move, he decided. Of course, she tried to slap him but missed.

Groaning in frustration, she ordered, "Let go of me." She used her other arm and pulled, unable to escape his hold.

Suddenly, Kratos chuckled to himself at his idea and responded, "Fine. As you wish." And he let go of arm quickly, smirking. Anna let out a small shriek and shocked expression as she tumbled backwards into the fountain. Kratos chuckled to himself as Anna looked on at him in rage, soaked. Her anger, he decided, was rather amusing.

He stared at her amused as she lay sitting in the fountain, furious, water dripping from her long brown hair. Then, she lifted her face up, ready to jump up and smack him until she remembered what happened the last time she tried...

Then an idea dawned on her. She lifted her hand and grunted stubbornly, "At least be a gentleman and help me up."

Kratos smirked again, "If you're going to try to drag me down, don't waste your energy." He extended his hand as she scowled at him and pulled. Knowing well that she wouldn't be able to drag him in herself, she grinned at her idea.

"Noishe!" She called, grinning as she saw it dawn in his eyes. A blur of white and green dashed in front of her and Kratos Aurion fell, stunned, head first into the fountain. Now they were both soaking wet. Anna laughed at the sight of a very wet Kratos, but he gave no reply. He simply stood, stated stiffly, "Let's leave." And then he left.

Anna sighed, eyes soft as she looked after him, and muttered, "Still doesn't know how to have fun, right Noishe?" He barked in accord as they watched Kratos angrily leave. Anna stood herself and looked around quickly. Luckily no one noticed them but now there were many people staring in fear at the protozoan beside her.

Anna soon caught up with Kratos and walked beside him. He was silent as he attempted to squeeze the water from his soaked clothes and hair. Anna did the same. Kratos thought angrily to himself, _this is going to be a long journey. Perhaps she knows some people in town..._ No, he knew he couldn't leave in the town the Desians would first check. He frowned until he realized that Anna was observing him._  
_

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Anna squinted at him, eyebrows twisting in frustration. "You looked like you were thinking hard about something."

"Nothing." he told her. Glancing quickly at her, he knew that his answer would not suffice and he added, "Just that we'll now have to stay an inn, since we're soaked." He looked accusingly at her. "We'll need to leave first thing in the morning. The Desians will surely look here."

"Hey, you started it" She stuck out her lip in a pout but stopped. "Do we have to leave so soon? I- I wanted to see-" Her face darkened but Kratos knew that it was a risk they couldn't take.

"Don't worry. We will be back soon anyways. We just should not stay here right now. We'd be putting these people in danger" he said softly to her. She looked at him and nodded.

"We _will _be back, though, right?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Of course." He sighed, knowing that they would indeed be back, but not for leisure. "Let's go to the inn." Kratos walked on towards the inn. Anna's presence irked him. Since she arrived, he couldn't concentrate, knowing well that he'd have to look after her as he did a child. She was a burden. Running a hand through his hair, he looked around for the inn and found it. A modest building, the inn was small but sturdily built. It lay amidst a torrent of other buildings in the bare, sandy ground.

Anna started talking again. Her eyes shone brightly as she started, "Ooh! Can I-"

"No."

"Well, then at least-"

"No"

"Come on, we should-"

"No" Kratos closed his eyes, attempting to get rid of the pesky voice that threatened behind him. Anna stared at him annoyed.

"At least pay attention to what I'm saying. Do you say no to everything?" She clenched her fists in anger but continued walking after him.

"No." He responded without emotion. "There." He pointed to the inn. "Let's go"

"Hmm, no." Anna sat down, yawning, her hair still dripping. As Kratos stared at her in disbelief, she retorted, "What? You're the only one allowed to do that?" Kratos frowned. How was he going to handle her?

"What do you want?" He instantly regretted his words as she smiled evilly. Why, why did he ever say that?

"Well, above all else, you still haven't told me who you _really_ are and how you know so much." She frowned quizzically at him. An interesting but reasonable request, he decided. But he knew that she wouldn't take it well. He could lie, but that would only complicate matters.

"Very well." He decided. He shook his head to himself, knowing he'd have to prepare for more slaps, punches, kicks: whatever she could and _would_ throw at him.

She smiled triumphantly and stood up, "Oh! And-"

"No." He said and continued walking before she could continue but this time she followed, still smiling.

"Oh, well. Next time. "She decided. She had enough to satisfy herself for now. They walked into the inn together, but it was busy. There were men and women and children all over the place, trying to find either a relative or their rooms. Many scattered in fear however, once they saw Noishe The previously boisterous room went silent and people receded into their rooms. It was empty now.

The innkeeper came out finally and thanked them. He grinned at them. "Thank you for finally getting rid of them! I was starting to get a headache myself. This person needed this and this person couldn't find this or-"

Kratos cut his rant short and said curtly. "We need two rooms. About Noishe-" He gestured to the huge protozoan. "I'll pay extra for him. We're only staying one night." The innkeeper looked at him curiously then spoke to Anna.

"Your friend's not particularly talkative, is he?" He muttered then turned back to Kratos. "I wouldn't mind except we've only got one room available tonight and-" His eyes flickered between Kratos and Anna as they both turned red and looked away from each other.

"That's fine. We'll take it." Kratos sighed shortly and dropped a few gold coins in the innkeeper's hands. As the innkeeper gave him the key, they walked to the room and Anna turned to him, one eye raised. Kratos seemed to sense her question and answered. " You can take the bed. Noishe and I will sleep on the floor."

Anna sighed, "Fine. I guess it'll make your explanation of who you are exactly easier to explain anyways."


	5. Kratos's True Identity

"What? No." Anna whispered, head down as she sat on the bed with her fists clenched desperately onto the blanket. She was angry but beyond that she felt hurt and betrayed. Her green eyes looked up defiantly into Kratos's and blinking twice, they widened; she knew then that his wild tale must be true, because his gaze deadlocked hers, serious and cold. Then she rushed up to him in an instant, standing a few inches away, still locking eyes. They stayed that way for a moment until Anna unleashed her fury and slapped him squarely across the cheek. Kratos let her hit him, though he could have easily avoided it.

"I trusted you." She told him, her voice though quivering now full of resolve. "And you tell me that you 'are of Cruxis', that you help the Desians, that you for who knows how many years let this twisted system exist. You tell me that there is no goddess after all." She still sounded as if she were in disbelief, though Kratos knew that she believed it no matter how outrageous. "There were so many people suffering, Kratos!" She screamed at him, now crying. "There were children there, you monster!" She hit him. "Traitor!" She shoved him. " You stupid jerk!" She was about to hit him again but turned away and ran out of the room now. He followed her as she continued running. Now and then, she'd look back only to be surprised that he was still following her, then gave him a dirty look and fled even faster.

Finally, he caught up to her and grabbed hold of her wrists tightly. "Let go of me! Leave me alone!" She struggled to get away from him, but he couldn't let go yet until he had a chance to explain.

"Wait! Hear me out, Anna!" he pleaded. "I left Cruxis! I am here to help you _now_! I promise I won't betray you" She stopped struggling now but was still crying. Her arms went limp and she looked up sadly at him and asked, "Why?" It was one question he didn't want to answer. It was the one question he himself couldn't fully answer. But he loosened his grip and let her loose. Giving him another dirty look, Anna shoved him once more but then she did something that he didn't expect. She came up to him again, staring at him and twisted her eyebrows in confusion.

Then, she sighed and hugged him. "Just don't betray me, you jerk, 'cause you know I do trust you." She whispered and she clung to him like she would a new hope because he was her new hope. Then like that, she left back into the room and he followed silently. Neither said a word and they both fell asleep, Anna on the bed and Kratos sitting against Noishe.

Kratos awoke the next morning to find Anna gone. Her bed was messy as if she left in a rush. In a rush to get away from him no doubt, he thought, but still her last words lingered in his mind. _She trusted him_. He sighed in frustration, knowing that he still should have expected her to leave. After his explanation, why _should _she trust him? Still, he couldn't help but feel sad? Hurt, maybe? Or worried? Without a doubt, he was worried. Though Yggdrasiil took K'var's plan as foolish, he knew that the extra strength of another exsphere, let alone a _special_ exsphere would further hinder his attempts to stop him. Kratos clenched his fists. He couldn't let that happen. He'd have to go after her.

"Aaaahhh!" Kratos turned his head toward the sound of a woman screaming. Was it Anna, he thought? In the distance, he could hear the march of an army, the Desians no doubt. As he looked out the window, flames engulfed every building in its path. Soon, he began to smell smoke rising from the inn itself. He swiftly packed their belongings, summoned Noishe and left the inn quickly, eyes searching for one woman in a crowd of hundreds of unknown faces. People screamed as they fled their homes with their children. Men were slaughtered helplessly. Destruction and death: that's all there was.

"Anna!" Kratos yelled frantically. "Damn it, Anna, where are you? Noishe, any trace of Anna?" His panicked eyes met those of a calm protozoan who seemed to nod at Kratos's question. "Lead me there." Kratos climbed onto Noishe's back and in a blur, Kratos caught sight of a long-haired brunette with bright green eyes, riddled with fear. She was crouching behind an old dilapidated building, extinguished of its fire. Desians were nearby and Kratos silently cursed to himself, realizing that he couldn't risk exposing himself to them. They were nearing the corner, about to find Anna when a young man nearby called out, his eyes on Anna.

"Hey, over here! I found her! She's about to exit the town! That way!" With that, the Desians left, rushing to the town's only exit. Kratos saw his chance and rushed over to Anna, whose face was smudged with dirt, strands of hair out of place, but her eyes still glowed, still had that fire. Wounded and riddled with cuts and scrapes, she gave him a dirty look, but he put a hand over her wounds, a blue light emanating from it and she was healed.

"Thank you." she gasped, then gave him a look. "You can use magic too, huh?"

He nodded, "Don't try to escape from me. Despite who I was, I am not your enemy now. You're safer if you stick with me" He was crouched beside but now stood, offering his hand to her. Havoc still wreaked upon them, and they weren't safe yet, but he couldn't risk having her attempt that again.

Instantly, she looked confused, but then she laughed as if she realized something. "No! I wasn't trying to run away from you this morning, if that's what you thought. Even though you did-" she paused as coldness passed through her eyes, "-what you did, for some reason, I _do_ trust you." Her tone was serious now, then light again. "I went out this morning shopping for a weapon" She grinned widely. "If the Desians are after us, and people as powerful as that Mithos guy are against us, I'll need to know how to fight, right?"_  
_

Kratos's eyes widened in shock. That was random, and his face contorted with puzzlement. Also, he wondered if she would even to wield the weapon properly... It must have shown on face, because she laughed at him. "Don't worry. I promise not to kill you accidentally." For a second, Kratos smiled. Then he extended his hand again, remembering the urgency of the problem and scolded himself for forgetting. Anna smiled back at him as she took it.

"Let's go. We've spent too much time talking. The Desians may soon realize that you did not exit that way." As they moved swiftly and silently, suddenly Kratos had an urge to ask, "Who was that man by the way?" Kratos cleared his throat, remembering the man as they progressed towards another exit.

"Oh, that was just a past lover." She said casually, eyes slyly averted from Kratos as if anticipating the shock. She turned, saw his curious expression and laughed. "Just kidding. Let's leave _now_" she stressed as she looked back quickly.

"The only passage available is through the water." He told her. "I don't know if you can make the distance. Ride Noishe! Hurry, they're coming!" With that Kratos sent Anna on Noishe across the lake before jumping in himself. They hid under the bridge just out of the Desians' sight.

"They're not here either! Damn it! They're gone" The Desian sighed. "They've escaped. Now, K'var will-" he shuddered before finishing his sentence but didn't need to as a uneasiness settled over the rest of the men. Then he turned to another and said, "The Angelus Project- it's not alone?" He asked hesitatingly.

The other shook his head and added, "Some people at the inn say they saw someone matching the Angelus Project's description but with it there was a huge green and white monster and a tall man with spiky reddish-brown hair. This man had a sword with him. Quite strange though."

The first Desian sighed then said, "Report the loss of the Angelus Project and report these descriptions to Lord K'var and Lord Yggdrasiil." He turned his head to stare off at the destruction that seemed to be distant. "Let's move."

Kratos and Anna locked eyes as Anna mouthed to him, _Yggdrasiil?_ He understood and responded with a dark look. Now that Kratos openly betrayed him and acted against him, Yggdrasiil would pursue them. Yggdrasiil would stop at nothing to regain his dear companion and teacher.


	6. On the Run

They were safe. They were soaked.

As they swam or rather as Anna rode Noishe and as Kratos swam, Anna thought back on the last night. She'd been furious at Kratos and she felt betrayed. That night she had every intention of running from him yet when he caught up, Anna could only look into his eyes once and trust him again. No matter what she hatred she felt towards what he did, she _did_ inexplicably trust him. And Kratos seemed confused as well by this. They made it out of Lake Sinoa safely, luckily without any Desians spotting them.

Still, brooding over this morning, Anna frowned; she'd actually meant to sneak out and see her family and friends once more before she left with Kratos. She only very briefly saw her childhood best friend, Harvey, who'd directed the Desians away from them...She frowned even more, the creases in her forehead deepening as she worried about what had happened to him Shuddering, she knew for certain that the Desians would punish him for misleading them. Then, her thoughts were interrupted by Kratos who asked, confused, "Are you okay? We're safe from the Desians now." She studied his usually indifferent face for a moment, surprised that worried touched each of his features. "You've been quiet for a while. That's not a normal sign. Are you feeling okay?"

"What does that mean?!" She scowled at him. "You know, I'm allowed to be quiet once in a while!" She looked away, lifting her head up angrily and said, "Humph."

He chuckled lightly, "Yes, but those precious moments are few and far between..." He smiled and looked at Noishe, saying, "Don't you agree Noishe?" He happily barked in agreement and playfully nudged Kratos's hand. Then after a few silent moments of walking, he hesitated before looking at a still frowning Anna. "Still, I can tell something's troubling you. What's wrong?"

She snorted. "As if you'd care. We wouldn't be able to do anything anyway." She looked down sadly. "My family, Harvey, those people in Luin. They're sure to suffer for my escape." She wondered what would happen to them. The Desians could do whatever they wanted to them, punish them in whatever way they saw fit.

"Yes." Kratos responded seriously. "They will surely suffer." He laid his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if for reassurance.

"Thanks for cheering me up." She mumbled, glaring at him, surprised to hear him reply.

"But knowing K'var, he will not kill them or take them back to the ranch. He still needs them and he knows that you will be back to see them" he reassured her.

"Or more likely, he'll want to hurt them in front of me, when I'm back." She frowned at Kratos. "Let's put it this way. K'var and I are not the best terms..."

Kratos paused and looked at her skeptically. "What exactly did you do to him? I doubt it could be too bad."

Anna took a deep breath, squinted and concentrated as if on something in the distance and began counting to herself, mumbling incoherent things even Kratos could not hope to hear.

"What are you doing-" He looked confused.

"Shush!" Anna harshly said. "I'm not done!" After a while, she finished and turned to him. "First of all, there's the classic: spitting and spitballs. I kinda lost count on how many times I've spit at him" She squinted with concentration for a moment before continuing, "Yeah, it's useless. I'll never know for sure. Spitballs though, happened about as often as I got meals. First bite of every meal, I'd chew it until he came and spit it at him." She laughed. "You think he'd learn sooner, but it actually took him quite a while." Then she turned to look at him. "You know this is gonna take a while." He only nodded expectantly and she continued.

"Let's see...Oh! This is a good one! Snakes. You see, every so often, garden snakes would sneak in through the gates. They would "mysteriously" end up down his shirts, in his pants, in his shoes, on his head: everywhere. Each one signed Anna" She grinned almost evilly at Kratos as he frowned at her. "What now?" She complained.

"You can manage to do all this but not escape?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, well, trust me. It's not as hard as it sounds, especially dealing with K'var... Escaping on the other hand." She shuddered. "Always almost free but not completely... Painful too" Her eyes glazed aimlessly as she showed his some of the scars on her arms from what looked like whipping from multiple sources. Then she looked him in his eyes with a determined, green fire in her own, "But I never gave up and wouldn't have either" She said triumphantly, continuing her stories. By the end of her speech, Kratos thought he'd heard about as much as he'd ever in his life. For a moment he even felt bad for K'var. Snakes, malfunctioning weapons, flaming toilets, stink bombs, indoor "fireworks"... K'var had even ended up with broken toes, arms and legs, a sprained neck, a bruised eye, and a stab wound: all directly and indirectly caused by Anna. Once, she'd even managed to open all the gates for the prisoners, though without any luck of them escaping. It was mostly just to wreak havoc, which seemed to be her specialty.

He cringed at the thought of having to deal with that. No doubt, K'var would want to torture her in ways that would not jeopardize his Angelus Project. He almost jumped when he heard her voice.

"By the way, just because I'm talking to you, doesn't mean I'm not still angry at you...or that I completely trust you." She sniffed and turned her head from him. "You still were a Desian..."

He responded, "Good." Anna turned to him in surprise, "Because I no longer trust you after hearing what you did at that ranch... Also, you don't listen well and you've attacked me several times and now possess a weapon." He turned to her, eyebrow raised at her reckless grin.

"Good." She said smugly and triumphant. They walked for another few hours, passing through what seemed to be an endless forest for Anna. It was a beautiful day, sunshine beating on the three, birds chirping, streams running in all sorts of directions. Anna loved it...at first, but soon she was tired.

Anna groaned. "Can we take a break _now_?" She glared at him. "I'm so exhausted and hungry. I still haven't eaten." Her hair was all out of place from the chaos, her skin paled and Kratos noticed that she seemed as gaunt as ever. Now more so than ever, she'd need to keep up her energy and nutrition with the exsphere sucking the mana from her. He knew that they needed to stop and obliged as Anna cried happily, "Finally!" Then she sighed, collapsing onto a clear area on the ground that revealed the only a pile of leaves and soft soil. She was soon asleep and Kratos began to cook up a feast for her, knowing that she would definitely be starving when she cam to. And he was right.

Yawning, Anna rose from her nap and smelled the food in the air. "Mm, smells delicious!" Her eyes lit up at the sight of the food. "Swordsmanship, magic, cooking. Is there anything you can't do?" She joked with him and smiled. As she ate, her eyes widened, "This is good!"

Kratos smiled and responded, "Glad you like it...you'll need to keep up your nutrition. Eat more. "

Anna asked, "Aren't you going to eat? You're not eating much." She pointed out.

"I'll be fine. I don't need much, but you'll need it because of your exsphere." he explained. They continued eating together and each gave Noishe some scraps. "By the way, we should start your training soon or you'll only become a burden. " He said emotionless, but it seemed to spur on fire within Anna.

"Huh! I won't!" She scoffed, drawing out her blade quickly. It was a short dagger, suited to Anna. She swung her blade at Kratos, who had his sword drawn and blocked her attack.

"Humph. Not bad" He said, locking blades with hers and she drew closer. "But not good enough yet." And then as if on cue, he took his blade and twisted it against Anna's, almost knocking it out of her hands, but she held on to it firmly and drew back. She swung, clashing blades with him as she hit from all directions. Missing as she swung at his right, Kratos stepped back, setting Anna off balance when he saw his chance. He swiftly disarmed her as she fell backward onto the ground into a sitting position, his blade point right at her neck.

"Ugh!" She groaned then mumbled, embarrassed, "Well, I guess you're pretty good." She rolled her eyes and frowned.

Extending a hand Kratos replied, "You weren't too bad yourself. It looks like you've had some training before."

She said brightly, "Yeah, my dad used to train me and my brother together."

Kratos nodded, then said, "But you still have a lot to improve. For one, when you swing like that, you're wide open. Here, position yourself again."

Anna then swung her dagger into position, asking, "Like that?"

Kratos studied her for second before stepping behind her. He put his right hand on her right wrist and left hand and her other wrist. "Hey! What're you doing? Can't you just show me?" She shouted irritated by his close presence and hiding her blush.

He only sighed and shook his head before replying, "Humph. I'm merely showing you how to move it after in position. Some things you must learn by doing, not seeing."

Still irritated, she rolled her eyes, "Fine, but hurry up."

"Here, like this," he took her right hand holding it steady and straight, then quickly jabbed it forward, then lifted it upward, her wrist now in an arc and the blade high, as if anticipating a block. "Remember also to use your left hand to steady and balance yourself in some positions. Never neglect to move your feet quickly as well." After showing her several techniques and positions for her to use, Kratos left Anna to practice, correcting any mistakes.

"Wow, I feel like I've already improved." She grinned happily as she placed her hands on her hips in confidence.

"You have." Kratos admitted. She learned faster than he'd expected.

"Then how about fighting me again, right now?" She challenged, a little too proud of her accomplishment.

"Hmm...maybe some other day. Don't worry, you can't hope to beat me just yet." He told her, raising his eyebrows in surprise at her challenge. "You'll have to train harder if you want to beat me."

"Stupid jerk" She mumbled softly, though Kratos heard it and chuckled.

"We'll take a short break before continuing." He said. "We're almost there."

"Fine." She said resigned, "But where are we heading?"

"Hima" He answered.


	7. Misunderstanding at Hima

After they arrived in Hima, Anna nearly jumped up in joy. It was long and hard and grueling for her, yet looking at Kratos, she would have hardly thought that he'd done any more than take a short walk.

"Well, that was tiring." Kratos said dully, reaching one hand up to his head as if to wipe the sweat from his forehead. So unexpressive, Anna thought as she shook her head and frowned at him. She was basically on her knees exhausted. She gave him another dirty look, until she tripped and nearly fell, too exhausted to keep herself up. She felt a strong arm grab hold of waist and haul her up, her own arm around his shoulders as Kratos helped her up. She smiled at him and thought to herself, that she was glad he was there. No matter how much of a condescending jerk he was, somehow it was exactly that part of him that made her stronger. It was then that she noticed that he was staring intently at her...and that she was staring right back.

As Anna smiled at Kratos, he couldn't help but feel confused, though he also felt something more that he couldn't quite explain. He found himself staring at her, noting a beauty that touched each of her striking features. For the first time he noticed her heart-shaped face framed by long, chocolate-colored hair and prominent cheek bones. But more than anything, despite her fierceness, he noticed the gentleness in her green eyes and the frailty that touched her smile. But she looked away abruptly, not yet ready to accept Kratos and his past. They were interrupted by a man nearby who cried, "Ah! Another monster!" Anna looked around confused, until she realized that the man was staring right at them and began to lunge for Noishe.

"No!" She shouted, putting herself protectively between Noishe and the attacker. She lifted her arm to block the attack that surely would have been near fatal for the protozoan. Despite her fatigue, Anna's strong will took hold of her feet and she moved her unwilling body. Too tired to wield her dagger and properly block the attack, the man's splintered weapon came crashing down on her as he looked on in surprise, unable to stop his body already in motion. Anna felt the burning pain sear through her arm, as the weapon moved in deeper and as she prepared to faint, she felt a quick motion cut off the intruding impact and saw through her blurry vision a pair of worried eyes over her. Then the last thing she remembered was the crying whine of Noishe.

0o0

Kratos scolded himself again and again as he waited for Anna to regain consciousness. Why hadn't he seen it coming, moved faster, protected Anna and Noishe? He should have been more on his guard, he thought to himself. But at that moment, he was so distracted, and he simply did not understand it. He frowned again at himself when he remembered it...Then he sighed, thinking to himself that he would never quite understand whatever he felt, because he didn't remember ever being so distracted, so off guard. As Anna lay pale and faint in the bed, Kratos healed her as best as he could using magic, then cleaning and wrapping her wound gently.

"How is she?" Asked a worried attacker as he entered their room. As soon as the weapon hit Anna, Kratos stopped the rest from doing even more damage, but the attacker himself was already stopping the attack. As soon as Kratos explained what Noishe was...or rather he actually just called Noishe a dog to save himself the trouble of explaining, the man was quite generous. He offered them refuge at his home and helped Kratos treat Anna's wounds. Still, Kratos cast the man a glare, silencing him almost immediately, until the man spoke again after a few moments of silence. "Look, I'm sorry about your girlfriend, but she _did_ jump in front of the monster, err-i mean dog."

"She's not my girlfriend." He answered icily and abruptly, causing the man to raise his hands in defense and chuckle.

"Whatever you say" he winked and left. For a few hours, Noishe stayed faithfully by Anna and Kratos, whining and pacing restlessly in anticipation of Anna waking up, while Kratos worried whether the pressure of her key crest-less exsphere and her wound would fatally injure her. As he grew more and more worried, he thought to himself, _it's only natural that i'm worried seeing as it was my fault to begin with_...and he cringed at the thought of being distracted once more. No more distractions, he decided and began to nod off in the chair beside Anna's bedside.

Finally Anna woke up. Her eyes blinked quickly as they adjusted to the light and as she tried to sit up quickly, she gasped at the pain in her arm, wincing slightly. "Where are we?" She whispered to herself and next to her, she saw Kratos sleeping and smiled softly. Then all of sudden, she heard a loud barking and Noishe was basically on top of her, licking her until she was soaked. Laughing, she said, "it's good to see you too Noishe!"

Kratos awoke to the sound of laughter and saw Noishe happily soaking a now conscious Anna. Then Anna turned to Kratos, smiling and said haughtily, "Thanks for staying here with me, but you know, I can take care of myself." She folded her arms and looked at him as he frowned and responded irritated,

"Anna, if you could take care of yourself, you wouldn't be in this position."

Now angry, Anna yelled at him, "i didn't see you doing anything!"

"Humph." he said simply, averting his eyes from her and ignoring her.

She growled in frustration. "At least have the decency to respond. " She threw her head up and mumbled, "Jerk." Though they were arguing, both were glad to have things back to normal and out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Kratos smile. He was glad to know that she would be just fine.

"We can rest here a few days before we leave again." He said. "It won't be long until the Desians find us." His brow creased with worry, and Anna groaned loudly.

"Can't we stay a little longer this time? We haven't stopped moving since, well frankly since I was in the ranch." She whined.

He sighed. "You know the risk we run if we do that." He crossed his arms and looked down at her, one eye raised. Anna fell back onto the bed and pouted, turning on her side to sleep as if to ignore Kratos. They stayed that way for a few moments.

"I know." She whispered.

0o0

For the next few days, they spent the place at Archie's, a young man in his mid 30's. That was the name of Anna's attacker. Monsters, it seemed, had flooded Hima and killed many of the residents living there. Most others fled, but Archie was determined to stay for some reason. He survived... but grew paranoid in the process. They didn't interact much with what sparse residents remained and the inn itself was bare as a ghost town. Kratos and Anna continued to argue as usual, his indifference irritating Anna while her energy wore Kratos's patience thin. Both got along well with Archie and even became good friends with him. He was witty, good-natured and quick to think, moderating between Anna and Kratos's extreme personalities.

While Anna slept in late, Kratos had gotten up early to search for any signs of Desians and once he was satisfied with the results, he retreated back to Archie's home. Archie greeted him in the kitchen and poured him a cup of coffee, sitting down with Kratos at the table. They sat in silence for a while, until Archie chuckled to himself. Kratos looked up at him confused and caught Archie's eye. Laughing more, he finally explained himself. "You and Anna are as different as night and day. You know, it gets tiring after a while, even just watching you two go at it."

Kratos agreed, but was too proud ever to give in to her petty, childish arguments. In response, he looked at him and put a hand to his forehead, sadly shaking his head. Archie only grinned and said as he left Kratos, "You know, opposites attract." To that Kratos stifled a snort. And Kratos could hear him mumble in the distance, "Poor sucker. They'll be hopelessly in love before they know it." Kratos ignored his last comment, knowing well that he would never fall in love. As soon as Anna awoke, Kratos knew that they would have to leave and told her and Archie, thanking him for his hospitality.

"If the Desians know that you've been sheltering us, they'll kill you." Anna frowned, worried, and Kratos was as well. Though they barely interacted, they respected one another and grew a friendship out of their respect. He was one of the few that Kratos would respect.

Archie only grinned and said, "I'll be fine. i managed to take you down and you two seem just fine. I can take care of myself." Anna laughed and even Kratos smiled. "I'll see you two off though. It's gonna seem pretty quiet without you two arguing all the time."

As they walked to the town's exit, they talked among themselves, hearing a voice suddenly cry, "You dirty half-elf!" And with that, a lamp came flying towards Archie. Kratos pulled him out of harm's way and Archie stood still shifting uncomfortably for a while. Kratos and Anna glanced at each other, each with sadness and stood silently with Archie for a while until he spoke.

"Thank you for saving me" He said uncomfortably and strangely with a now formal air. Then he sighed and said, "I'm sorry for lying to you, but..." his eyes were downcast, then he continued abruptly as if in a hurry. "I won't blame you if you hate me now, but it was nice knowing you while it lasted. Good luck." He turned and prepare to leave until he felt someone grab his arm and he looked back in surprise at Anna's smiling face.

Anna pulled him into a hug and whispered, "It was nice meeting you too. You were my first real friend since I've been out of ranch." Kratos scoffed and felt strangely offended. Anna looked back at him and stuck her tongue out. Smirking, she mouthed, "Sorry."

kratos only replied with, "Humph." Anna released Archie from his hug, but continued to say, "You're still you, even if you're a half-elf. There are good ones like there are bad humans. Just look at Kratos" She remarked cheerily and pointed back at him as he raised his eyebrows.

Kratos shook his head and replied, "Don't be so immature."

Archie looked at her and smiled, then asked Kratos eyeing him, "What about you?"

Kratos snorted and replied, "All of my closest friends, people I respect above all else, are half-elves. You're safe with us. Don't worry." Archie smiled and looked relieved.

As he started walking back and as they walked in the opposite direction, he grinned and said, "I'll never forget you, but don't forget. Opposites attract." With that he winked and left, leaving both Kratos and Anna irritated at each other with just a glance.

Long after, maybe days after, Kratos and Anna left, there lay Archie in his home, still and cold in his own pool of blood, eyes open in sorrow. The townspeople hardly missed him and were glad to tell the Desians that he was harboring criminals. The Desian stood next to Archie's body and spat at him, mumbling, "Traitors...they're the worst." THen he turned to his companion and said, "They're gone. Tell K'var."

**** Hey! Will be gone for a while, so don't expect another update for two weeks. This is the last until then. Please write reviews and maybe even post any ideas you want incorporated in this. Thank you for reading!****


	8. Hidden Affections

Asgard was much farther away than Kratos made it seem. But finally, they arrived there. Amidst a heated argument about the Church of Martel, Anna finally snapped. They stopped at the entrance of Asgard.

"Ugh! I'm leaving. I need time away from you and- ughhhh!. Humph. You think you're soooo great." She mimicked him and threw her hands up in the air exasperated, walking away.

Kratos snorted and rolled his eyes but followed her from behind. "You think it's easy to put up with you? You're naive and childish." He said coldly and Anna stopped, turning red.

Then she walked up to him and jabbed a finger into his chest, shouting, "Well if I'm so hard to put up with, then stop following me!" With that she ran away, upset and on the verge of tears. Kratos stared after her, unsure of what he should do. A part of him was uncomfortable with making her upset and wanted to run after her and apologize, yet his pride kept him from doing that. Noishe looked up at Kratos with a scolding look and growled softly at him. The protozoan had grown quite fond of Anna and protective since the incident at Hima.

"What do you want me to do, Noishe?" He said darkly at his companion. Then as he looked for signs of Anna, he began to panic. Lost in his thoughts, he'd lost track of where she was. As he thought about the potential dangers she faced without him with her, he instantly felt guilty for letting her go. His head turned to Noishe and with a hand on his head, he said. "Noishe, help me find her." He sighed as the protozoan shook his huge head, turned his noise up at Kratos and walked away with a slight skip, terrifying the people of Asgard.

Kratos frowned. Anna probably told him to do that. It was the first time Noishe didn't listen to Kratos, and this especially frustrated him. But his companion disappeared, leaving him to start his search on his own. Then he whispered to himself, "Where would she go?"

0o0

Anna was fuming. She'd never felt so angry in her life. She wasn't a child and she could certainly take care of herself without Kratos. After all, she survived the ranch. Just thinking about it made her shiver though she soon turned her thoughts to happier ones. Finally, though, she could do what she wanted without Kratos hovering around her telling her not to. As she thought about the face he would make at what she thought of doing, she grinned but soon stopped herself. Strangely it made her miss him, until she remembered that she was supposed to be mad at him. She growled to herself and went to explore Asgard.

Every place she went, Anna nearly ran into Kratos. Luckily she was quick at hiding herself and surprisingly, Kratos still hadn't seen her. Still, she thought to herself, _how the hell does he know where I'm going to be every time?_ She groaned to herself. He must have actually listened to her rant about what she wanted to see. Right now, they were in a library and she popped her head out from behind a bookcase to see if he had gone yet, but no luck. He was still there and Anna caught sight of his face. At first it was indifferent, but now she could clearly see the worried lines that etched his face. His eyes were alive, she noted; it was rare to ever see his eyes alive. She felt her own eyes go up in surprise as she smiled a bit, almost wanting to come out and forgive him.

His eyebrows creased and he mumbled to himself, "Anna..." Anna felt her own heart flutter in response and groaned to herself. Ready to come out, Anna stopped herself as a pretty petite red-head stepped out from her seat and approached Kratos.

The red-headed woman around Anna's age tapped Kratos's shoulder and asked him softly, "Do you need help with something? You seem a bit anxious." She smiled and Anna noted that she was really very pretty, in comparison to her own plain self.

Kratos smiled warmly at the woman who was obviously interested in him and answered, "Yes, actually, I'm looking for someone." Anna gaped at him and dropped her mouth wide open, then immediately scowling. Kratos was never quick to smile at anyone, let alone Anna or a stranger. Anna grumbled to herself and suddenly felt furious at Kratos all over again. She left as quietly as she could, wanting to make him worry now more than ever.

0o0

As Kratos conversed with the red-head, he smiled at her hoping that she might have seen Anna. Even if she hadn't, a local could greatly help him in his search rather than stopping randomly in places that looked like they might interest Anna. With that in mind, he poured charm and friendliness into his words and as their conversation came to a close, the woman said, "Well, good luck. If you ever need a friend, I'll be here. Just give me a call." After giving him her number, she batted her eyelashes at him as he left and Kratos waved his goodbyes. He rushed hurriedly out of the library and noticed that the sun had gone down. The woman kept him talking longer than he should have spent.

He stood for a moment in silence, thinking of where she could be and finally it dawned on him, though he mumbled to himself, "She wouldn't..." With that thought in his mind, he left for the town's local bar. Sure enough as he entered the bar, he saw her sitting with a few shady characters giggling and drinking. He quickly walked up to her, frowning and asked, "Where have you been?" Clearly she had drunk more than she could handle.

As she struggled to stand without falling over, she looked at him and giggled. "Heyyy." She shouted, "You finally found me! Took you long enough." She laughed again and nearly fell over. Kratos frowned again worried.

Then he grabbed her arm roughly and said, "You've had enough. We're leaving." He stared the other two drunkards in the eyes, placing a hand on his hilt. That was enough to scatter them.

"Ow!" Anna whined as Kratos dragged her out of the bar and down the street to the inn. "Lemme go you jerk" She tried to say but her words slurred and became incoherent. Even Kratos had trouble hearing and understanding her. "I hate you..." She slurred again as she repeatedly slapped him. Halfway there, Anna tripped and fell in her druken stupor, but Kratos caught her in the same way he did at Hima and found himself locking eyes with Anna's again. He looked away uncomfortable being distracted again and Anna laughed at him. Then she put her hand put to Kratos's face softly and laughing more, she kissed him.

Kratos was instantly surprised and confused. He face became hot, like he had a fever and his heart pounded so loudly he thought he could hear it. He felt something he hadn't felt for ages and suddenly became nervous and flustered, tripping over something behind him as he backed away. It sent both him and Anna tumbling to the floor. As Kratos himself stood, he noticed Anna incapacitated on the ground and picked her up. As he continued walking on to the inn, his heart was flustered just looking at her face. _What happened? _he thought to himself. He shook his head sadly, _ it couldn't happen though...it wouldn't be fair to her._ But Kratos couldn't deny the anguish, desire, emotion that he heart felt for the first time. Thawed and raw and exposed, Kratos felt vulnerable and nervous. It only made him want to seal himself away even more.

All of a sudden, rain poured down on them heavily. _THe inn is still far away_, Kratos thought and immediately sought for shelter. He found a hidden cave nearby with drawings in it and decided they could rest here for the night. The rain wasn't going to let up until morning. Searching for Anna had tired Kratos, so he sat down, laying Anna down gently. As he slept into a sitting position, he felt Anna shift as well leaning her head on his shoulder. She sighed gently and shivered next to Kratos, probably cold from the rain. Kratos then gently put his cloak over her and drifted off to sleep, promising himself that he would never allow himself to feel that way again.

As the sunlight hit the cave, Kratos woke up and saw Anna still leaning on his shoulder now clinging to his arm as well. He sighed as he struggled to wiggle his arm out without waking her. But he had no such luck. As soon as he moved, Anna stirred and groggily yawned. As she rubbed both her eyes and stretched, she finally caught sight of Kratos. "Kratos?" She nearly shouted and jumped back, confused. Anna couldn't remember a thing from the night before. When she noticed her arm in his and his cloak on her, she immediately pulled back, threw his cloak in his face and said, "ughhh! i can take care of myself, you know!" She blushed but looked him right in the eye, still a little angry at him. Strangely he wouldn't look at her and she was surprised. Kratos was never one to avoid confrontation, but now she saw that he was uncomfortably shifting away from her. He cleared his throat and now frowned, grumbling, "I hope you learned your lesson from last night."

Then she said angrily, "Well I hope you learned yours!" She glared at him intensely, until she noticed that he was now slightly confused.

He cleared his throat again and asked, "Do you remember anything that happened last night?" She shook her head. She noticed that he looked relieved and now looked her in the eye with his cold indifference once again. "Well, Anna, you cannot walk off into bars with shifty characters." He frowned and raised his eyebrows at her. Crossing his arms, he continued, "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I had everything under control. I didn't need your help and still don't!" She snapped at him and turned away. "I am not a child. I can take care of myself without you." She started walking out of the cave.

"Hmm..." He said in response, following her as she went on rambling. _ What I felt was just surprise_, He thought to himself as he touched his lips with his fingers. He told this to himself to reassure himself until he completely sealed away what he felt. Besides, Anna basically hated him. She would get away from him first chance she got. Then, he thought long and hard about whether or not that was a good thing. All of a sudden, Anna stopped and turned around at Kratos, frowning.

"You've been unusually quiet. What's wrong with you?" Anna tilted her head confused at him and Kratos only shook his head and responded,

"I'm usually am." His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Anna only sighed and circled around him slowly, observing him.

"But its a different kind of quiet...Sort of, disturbed." She said, her hands now folded behind her back.

Kratos snorted, "Whatever you say." And he continued walking. This time Anna followed him.

"Where are we going?" She asked him curiously. Kratos rolled his eyes at her.

"The inn. Do you expect to stay in the cave for the next few days?" Anna scoffed.

"Well, don't get all defensive now." She scowled at him. They walked into the inn together, ready to check in for a comfortable bath and breakfast. But both were shocked to see what lay waiting for them. The silent air ate at Kratos, warning him almost, but still his feet willed him forward. There, he saw the innkeepers shackled and beaten, held up by the hair by Desians. Kvar was there himself to give them a warm welcome.

He smiled, a rather horrid sight as his slanted eyes glinted and sharp teeth spread out at them. "Well, well. A012. Ah! And her rescuer, none other than the traitor Kratos."


	9. Kvar

The only thing Anna could hear was the pounding of her heart as she ran and ran. THe sole sound of it throbbed in her head though she was vaguely aware of the chaotic screaming all around her. The voices echoed in her head; Run, it said, run, and she did. Her feet kept carrying her despite how long she'd been running and how exhausted she felt. She worried now about Kratos. Kvar was sly and clever. Despite Kratos's skill and position, Kvar would find a way and he would never stop hunting her down either. That was what he said. She soon reached her hiding place and as she slowed to catch her breath, she recalled the earlier events.

0o0

Before Kratos and Anna could register the shock, a Desian grabbed Anna from behind, bound her hands and roughly shoved her to Kvar.

"Anna" Kratos shouted, worried and frustrated at his lack of preparedness.

Kvar's bitter-sounding laugh echoed in the empty inn filled with the deaths of many tenants. "It's too late! I finally recaptured A012, Kratos, you inferior being! Lord Yggdrasiil was a fool to have trusted a human" he scoffed, then turned to the other Desians. "Take care of him, while I tend to the Angelus Project" He snapped. He then retreated into one of the rooms and pushed Anna down, putting a finger under her chin and smiling while he examined her exsphere.

Then he laughed. "It seems Kratos has done a better job of developing the exsphere than i have! It's ready for harvest." He smiled at her then slapped her hard. It stung on her cheek. "Finally I'll be rid of you" He snarled at her. She kicked him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and made a run for the door, but in vain. Kvar was already up and he hit her again, square across the face. She fell back hard and flinched but knew she couldn't just stop fighting and got back up.

This time Kvar beat her again and again until he practically sat on top of Anna. She struggled weakly against him and he laughed. Anna's eyes widened as Kvar's hand gripped the now glowing stone, knowing Kratos couldn't defeat all of them in time to help her. She squeezed her eyes tightly in anticipation but suddenly heard Kvar shout. Suddenly, Kvar'd been thrown off her and the rope on her hands was cut. Kvar lay groaning only half conscious on the ground. She looked up shocked at who'd helped her. "You, you- you're dead!" She stuttered. It was the Desian who often helped her at the ranch.

He nodded at her and it was then that she noticed the pale gleam against his small childish figure. Then he spoke with a sad look in his eyes, "Run Anna, run!" He said it with such desperation that Anna found herself on her feet and on the way to the door despite her weakness. She felt a strong determined wind take hold in her.

As she found herself almost leaving, she turned back to him and shouted, "Wait! i don't even know your name." She realized that with shame, but dare not cast her eyes down. He deserved for her to at least look him in the eye.

"Lloyd." he said wispily before disappearing. He smiled faintly, looking as if he were at peace.

"Lloyd." She whispered to herself. "Thank you." She noticed Kvar regaining some consciousness. He was standing now and lunged at Anna. She felt her adrenaline take hold as she dodged his attack, kicked his chest and flung her dagger out swiftly, cutting him across his face. She left abruptly to the main part of the inn. There she saw Kratos still fighting, mercilessly cutting down any who approached him and it somehow disturbed her as she thought of Lloyd.

Mid-fight Kratos caught her gaze and locked eyes with her for a split second. His intense brown eyes bore into her as he shouted, "Run, Anna. I'll meet you back there." They nodded at one another reaching an understanding, and she ran.

As she looked back over her shoulder, she saw Kratos still fighting and Kvar in the back, one hand on his cheek, the other pointing at her.

0o0

She gasped suddenly as her eyes jolted open at the memory. She was still there, still safe. But it was too quiet. Kratos still hadn't come, she thought to herself, worried. Stupid as it sounded, she thought, what if he were hurt? She popped her head out from behind, her eyes darting frantically back and forth searching for him and she bit her lip. She ducked back down quickly as she saw two Desian figures approaching the place.

"This is the last place." One voice spoke, "It's the only one left, and she definitely didn't get past our defenses." He laughed triumphantly.

"Are you sure?" the other spoke, unsure. "It doesn't seem like a sort of place she would hide." The first sighed and muttered to himself.

"That's the point, you idiot." He yelled at the other and slapped him. "Stop wasting time. Let's go. Bring the others too. She's gotta be here." Anna froze, praying with all her will that they wouldn't find her. She sat crouched, absolutely still listening to the foot prints, then silence.

"Aha!" A Desian yanked up her hair hard enough to almost pull it out from its roots, and she winced in pain but thrashed to get away. She stabbed the one holding her up, and a pool of blood spilled behind her as she dashed away. As she was jolted by the shock that she'd killed someone, she scrambled to the door only to be recaptured by the many Desians that surrounded her.

"You'll pay for that," One snarled at her. "once Kvar gets a hold of you. But first..." He lifted his blade up, and Anna realized that he wasn't going to kill her. No, he was going to torture her slowly and painfully. She clenched her teeth in anticipation but nothing happened. Kratos came as fast as lightening from the shadows and took hold of Anna, holding his hand against her waist as she held onto his shoulders.

"You're late." She mumbled almost passing out from exhaustion and pain but managing a smile. She was glad that he was here for once. Kratos looked at her almost startled but smiled back.

"Hold on tight." He whisper to her, regaining the cold, intense look in his eyes, "We're going for a ride."

"Huh?" She slurred confused, then suddenly they were thrust upward into the air and flying. Her eyes widened as beautiful, luminescent blue wings sprouted from Kratos's back. "What's going on?!" She screamed and clung onto Kratos for dear life.

He looked at her confused, "I explained everything to you in Luin, remember?" He said gently as she clawed out the skin around his neck. "I told you that I was an angel." He snorted then rolled his eyes at her.

"Yeah, i remember. i thought you were talking figuratively or something. I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHEN SOMEONE JUST SPROUTS WINGS AT YOU!" She shouted but was strangely calm even despite her morbid fear of heights. Kratos only snorted at her and said no more. She hated when he did that; it was condescending and frankly insulting. But the last thing she remembered was passing out. Finally her body could take it no more and she fell into blissful sleep.

"This isn't good," Kratos mumbled as he flew looking at Anna worried. The exsphere now was glowing bright red as it sucked the life and energy from Anna, but luckily it dimmed down. kratos relaxed slightly but still felt frantic. "We don't have much time." He whispered sadly to himself.

0o0

Kvar still had his hand upon his cut cheek and growled menacingly, "You won't be celebrating for long, A012. Enjoy it while it lasts. I'll get you if its the last thing I do." He turned to his subordinates and barked, "Figure out where they're going. We'll chase them all over Sylverant if we have to."


End file.
